Occupational Therapy Assistants

Also Called:

Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA),

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA),

Licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant (LOTA),

Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)

What they do: Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments. Generally requires formal training.

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Healthcare & Human Services

Career Cluster

What do they typically do on the job?

  • Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
  • Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
  • Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.

Optimism

Empathy

Social Orientation

Cooperation

Integrity

Attention to Detail

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

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Social

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Conventional

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Realistic

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Verbal

  • Communicate by speaking

  • Listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • Notice when problems happen

  • Order or arrange things

Hand and Finger Use

  • Hold or move items with your hands

  • Keep your arm or hand steady

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills

  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

  • Talking to others

Social

  • Looking for ways to help people

  • Understanding people's reactions

People and Technology Systems

  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one

  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research

  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career

2. Plan your next move

  • Talk to your college and career counselor or school admissions staff
  • Visit Idaho Launch
  • Search for available Occupational Therapy Assistants jobs on Idaho Works

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop